Framing structure for glazed walls and partitions



Oct. 1,1968 E.V.EICHMAN 3,403,491

FRAMING STRUCTURE FOR GLAZED WALLS AND PARTITIONS Filed July 27, 1966 V I 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Ellis V. Eichman ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. V. EICHMAN Fig.3

FRAMING STRUCTURE FOR GLAZED WALLS AND P-ARTITIONS Filed July 27. 1966 Oct. 1, 1968 INVENTOR 9 Ellis V. Eichmon BY ATTORNEY Oct. 1, 1968 E. v. EICHMAN 3,403,491

FRAMING STRUCTURE FOR GLAZED WALLS AND PARTITIONS Filed July 2'7; 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Ellis V. Eichman ATTORNEY 0a. 1, 1968 E. v. EICHMAN 3,403,491

FRAMING STRUCTURE FOR GLAZED WALLS AND PARTITIONS Filed July 27, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v (Ill)? 24 IHHH 'W 'INVENTOR Elhs V. Elchmon ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,403,491 FRAMING STRUCTURE FOR GLAZED WALLS AND PARTITIONS Ellis V. Eichman, 2118 Parksidc, Irving, Tex. 75060 Filed July 27, 1966, Ser. No. 568,239 6 Claims. (Cl. 52397) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wall structure comprising a plurality of panels of glass, or other suitable materials, and a framing structure to provide means for arranging the panels in offset planes, or in such manner that their adjacent edges are offset with respect to each other, whereby to present a relatively narrow profile materially reducing the lateral dimensions of the vertical and horizontal mullions supporting the panels.

This invention relates to a building wall or partition structure, and it has particular reference to a glazed wall having a plurality of panels in juxtaposed association, and having a novel arrangement of extruded metal parts which together provide a framing for the panels.

A prime object of the invention is that of arranging the individual panes of glass, or panels of other suitable materials, which form adjoining panels, so as to overlap slightly in their erected positions, and the extruded or formed parts which comprise the framing members in cluding a mullion structure connecting the adjacent edges of adjoining panels in substantially side by side and mutually overlapping relation to each other.

Another feature of the invention is that the vertically and horizontally extending framing members which are engageable with corresponding edge portionsof the respective panels, to secure them in place in the wall, each comprise a rigid, fixed portion yieldably engageable with one side of a panel and a separable portion, characterized by its inherent spring tension, removably connected to said first mentioned portion and which is yieldably engageable with the opposite side of the glass panel.

One of the primary objects of the invention is that of providing a frame structure by which the panels can be offset in their adjacency so as to permit the use of mullions and stiles having a minimum of inner and outer surface dimensions, thus reducing the cost of fabrication while yet presenting a more attractive appearance than is afforded by conventional framing members where the panels must be arranged in abutting edge to edge relation.

The mullion structure connecting the adjacent edges of adjoining panels includes a rigid, fixed portion which consists of an elongated strip, angular in transverse section, having marginal portions thereof adjacent to its lonigtudinal edges arranged in parallel, mutually offset relation to each other and connected by an inclined middle section.

The mullion structure further includes a pair of separable portions, each of which consists of an elongated strip, generally channel shaped in transverse section, which is flexible and has an inherent spring tension, and hook means on opposite sides of the rigid fixed portion, near its longitudinal edges and adjacent its inclined middle section, engageable with the longitudinal edges of the separable portions whereby the separable portions are removably connected to the rigid fixed portion.

In use the rigid fixed portion of the mullion is arranged transversely of and between the adjacent edges of adjoining panels, with its inclined middle section arranged diagonally between the panels and with the marginal portions adjacent its longitudinal edges extending laterally 3,403,491 Patented Oct. 1, 1968 outwardly beyond the sides of the panels opposite their opposing sides.

The inclined middle section of the rigid fixed portion of the mullions, and the adjacent sides of the respective separable portions, form between them a pair of oppositely facing channels each adapted to embrace an edge portion of one of the panels. Gaskets are attached to opposing faces of the fixed and separable portions of the mullion for yieldable and frictional engagement with opposite sides of a panel received therebetween, or the panel may be set in a sealing compound.

The mullion above described is representative of all of the extruded metal parts which together provide the framing for the panels, the parts being similar in man} respects and being to some extent interchangeable.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, when considered in connection with the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view showing a wall structure, or partition, such as -a store front, having incorporated therein an arrangement of panels, and framing therefor, embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the lines 22 of FIGURE 1, showing one of the several outside frame members, which extend vertically and horizontally, respectively, about the periphery of the glazed area of the wall shown in FIG- URE 1, in which an adjoining panel is mounted forward 1y of the central axis of the frame members.

FIGURE 2A is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 2A2A of FIGURE 1, showing a horizontally extending outside frame member in which an adjoining panel is mounted rearwardly of the central axis of the frame member.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1, showing a horizontally extending inside frame member which is positioned between two adjoining panels, above and below the frame member, both of which are mounted forwardly of the central axis of the frame member.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 1, showing a horizontally extending inside frame member which is positioned above a door panel, between the door panel and an adjoining panel above the frame member, the door panel being mounted forwardly of the central axis of the frame member and the adjoining panel above the frame member being mounted rearwardly of the central axis of the frame member.

FIGURES 5 and 5A are transverse sectional views, taken on the lines 55 and 5A5A of FIGURE 1, showing sections of a vertically extending inside frame member, above and below a pair of adjoining inside frame members, two of which are shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, which is positioned between two adjoining panels, on opposite sides of the frame member, which are mounted rearwardly and forwardly of the central axis of the frame member, respectively.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on an en larged scale, taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 5, showing a screw connection between one side of a vertically extending frame member and an adjacent end of an ad joining horizontally extending frame member in abutting engagement therewith.

FIGURE 7 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 1, showing a vertically extending inside frame member which is positioned adjacent one side of a door panel, between the door panel and an adjoining glass panel, both the door panel and the adjoining glass panel being mounted forwardly of the central axis of the frame member.

FIGURE 8 is a transverse sectional view similar to FIGURES and 5A showing a different form of the invention in which the fixed, rigid portion of a frame member is formed initially in two pieces which are thereafter connected, as by rivets, and separated by a gasket therebetween to prevent thermal transmission from inside to outside.

FIGURE 9 is a transverse sectional view similar to FIGURE ZA showing another form of the invention in which a frame member, suitable for use as a sill, is modified to provide more space on the front side of an adjoining glass panel, accessible upon removal of a separa ble portion of said frame member, for insertion of screws in the rigid, fixed portion of the frame member for attachment of the frame member to an adjoining wall section, for use in locations where the back side of the panels may be relatively inaccessible.

Referring primarily to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the numeral 10 designates generally a building wall, or partition, shown fragmentarily, having a glazed area includ ing a plurality of panels 11 and 12 arranged substantially edge to edge, and having a novel arrangement of extruded or formed parts, as hereinafter described, which together provide a framing for the panels 11 and 12.

The panels 11 and 12 are arranged in two tiers, one above the other, in each of which a plurality of the panels 11 and 12 are arranged in a horizontally extending row, in parallel, substantially side by side relation to each other.

As shown in FIGURES 5 and 5A, the adjoining panels 11 and 12 of the respective rows are offset relative to each other, and adjacent marginal portions thereof mutually overlap. The uppermost panels 11 are each aligned vertically with one of the lowermost panels 12.

The numeral 13 indicates a door panel, which is aligned vertically relative to two of the panels 12 which are positioned on opposite sides thereof, and which are mounted forwardly of their frame members, hereinafter referred to, as shown in FIGURE 7, and is offset relative to one of the panels 11 which is positioned above it, as shown in FIGURE 4.

This invention concerns a novel arrangement of extruded or formed parts, as hereinafter described, which together provide a framing, indicated generally by the numeral 14, for the panels 11 and 12.

The metal framing 14 includes a pair of vertically extending outside frame members 15, a plurality of vertically extending inside frame members 16 which are positioned between the adjoining panels 11 and 12, a plurality of horizontally extending outside frame members 17 and 18 which extend between the vertically extending frame members and 16 immediately adjacent their upper and lower ends, respectively, and a plurality of horizontally extending inside frame members 19 which are positioned between the adjoining panels 11 and 12.

The individual frame members 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, are identical except as hereinafter described, and are substantially interchangeable, and are designated herein by the common numeral 20.

Referring now to FIGURES 5 and 5A, the numeral 20 designates generally a frame member which as illustrated comprises a mullion structure whereby the adjacent edges of the adjoining panels 11 and 12, as the case may be, are connected in side by side, mutually overlapping relation to each other.

The frame member 20 includes a rigid, fixed portion 21 which consists of an elongated strip, angular in transverse section, having marginal portions 22 thereof adjacent its longitudinal edges arranged in parallel, mutually offset relation to each other and connected by an inclined middle section 23.

The frame member 20 further includes a pair of separable portions 24, each of which consists of an elongated strip, generally channel shaped in transverse section, characterized by its flexibility and its inherent spring tension, and having outwardly flanged marginal portions 25.

The rigid, fixed portion 21 of the frame member 20 has two pairs of continuous, longitudinally extending inwardly turned integral hooks 26 for overlying engagement with the outwardly flanged marginal portions of the separable portions 24, whereby the separable portions are adapted to be removably connected to the rigid, fixed portion 21, on opposite sides thereof, in opposing relation to the respective marginal portions 22. The separable portions 24 are adapted to be snapped in place by their inherent spring action.

In use the rigid, fixed portion 21 of the frame member 20 is arranged transversely of and between the adjacent edges of adjoining panels 11 and 12, with its inclined middle section 23 arranged diagonally between the panels 11 and 12 and with the marginal portions 22 extending laterally outwardly beyond the sides of the panels 11 and 12 opposite their opposing sides.

The inclined middle section 23 of the rigid, fixed portion 21 of the frame member 20, and the adjacent sides of the respective separable portions 24, form between them a pair of oppositely facing channels, indicated by the numerals 27, each adapted to embrace an edge portion of one of the glass panels 11 and 12. Gaskets 28 are attached to opposing faces of the fixed and separable portions 21 and 24 of the frame member 20 for yieldable and frictional engagement with opposite sides of panels 11 and 12 received between them, or the panels may be glazed with a sealing compound.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, a separable portion 29, which is interchangeable with one of the separable portions 24 of the frame member 20, has an extension 30 for abutting engagement with one of the uppermost panels 11 adjacent its lower edge. The separable portion 29 is connected to the middle section 23 of the rigid, fixed portion 21.

FIGURE 3 shows an angular strip 31 removably connected to the rigid, fixed portion 21, in opposing relation to the side of the panel 11 opposite the extension 30, by means of a spring clip 32 which is connected to the rigid, fixed portion 21 by means of rivets or screws.

FIGURE 4 shows a right angular strip 33 of different design from the strip 31, which is connected directly to the rigid, fixed portion of 21 by screws such as the screw 34, or other securing device.

As shown in FIGURE 4, a separable portion 29 has been substituted for each of the separable portions 24, and the extension 30 of one of the separable portions 29 depends therefrom for abutting engagement with the adjacent side of the door panel 13 in its closed position, for use as a stop.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the fixed rigid portion 21 of the frame member 20 has a continuous, longitudinally extending bead 35 on each side thereof. The beads 35 have arcuate grooves 36 therein, and have circumferentially spaced, radially inwardly extending protuberances 37 coextensive with the grooves 36, which are step milled for engagement by the insertion of screws such as the screw 38 whereby an end portion of one frame member is adapted to be connected to an adjacent side of an adjoining frame member 20.

FIGURE 7 shows an arrangement similar to that of FIGURE 4 in which the extension 30 on the separable member 29 depends therefrom for abutting engagement with the door 13.

FIGURE 8 shows a modified form of the invention in which a rigid, fixed portion 39, which corresponds to the rigid, fixed portion 21 of the frame member 20, is formed in two pieces 40 each having portions 41 and 42 corresponding to one of the marginal portions 22 and the middle section, respectively, and thereafter the pieces 40 are connected at their middle sections 42 by rivets such as the rivet 43. The two sections may be separated by a non-metallic gasket, to prevent thermal transmission.

FIGURE 9 shows another form of the invention in which a rigid, fixed portion 44, which corresponds to the rigid, fixed portion 21 of the frame member 20, has incorporated therein features of one of the separable por tions 24, which has been omitted, and a separable portion 45, which corresponds to the other of the separable portions 24, is relatively wider.

The invention may be modified Within certain limitations by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and intent thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a panelled wall structure having vertical and horizontal frame members for supporting a plurality of panels, each of said frame members having a pair of laterally offset opposingly arranged bearing surfaces for said panels along one side of each of the adjacent edges thereof, a separable fiexible portion detachably secured longitudinally of each of said frame members providing an opposing bearing surface for the opposite side of each of the adjacent edges of said panels, the said bearing surfaces of the frame members and the bearing surfaces of the separable portions together forming channels in separate planes whereby said panels, in their erected positions, have their surfaces in offset planes.

2. The structure of claim 1, said separable portion being characterized by its inherent spring tension and said fixed and separable portions having mutually engaging means whereby said separable portion is adapted to be snapped in place.

3. The structure of claim 1, the arrangement being such that the panel may be secured in place relative to the frame member by advancing it straight on relative thereto, the separable portion of the frame member first having been removed.

4. In a mullion structure connecting the adjacent edges of a pair of adjoining panels arranged substantially side by side, in mutually overlapping relation to each other, the combination of a rigid, fixed portion consisting of an elongated strip, angular in transverse section, having marginal portions thereof adjacent its longitudinal edges arranged in parallel, mutually offset relation to each other and connected by an inclined middle section, a pair of separable portions each consisting of an elongated strip, generally channel shaped in transverse section, characterized by its flexibility and its inherent spring tension, mutually engaging means on opposite sides of the rigid, fixed portion and extending along the longitudinal edges of the separable portions whereby the separable portions are removably connected to opposite sides of the rigid, fixed portion, in opposing relation to the marginal portions thereof, by snapping them in place.

5. The structure of claim 4, the inclined middle section of the rigid, fixed portion of the mullion, and the adjacent sides of the respective separable portions, forming between them a pair of oppositely facing channels each adapted to embrace an edge portion of one of the panels.

6. The structure of claim 5, and cushion means attached to opposing faces of the fixed and separable portions of the mullion for yieldable and frictional engagement with opposite sides of panels received between them.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,140,763 7/1964 Edelstein 52-476 3,147,518 9/1964 Horgan 52397 3,155,205 11/1964 Place 52397 3,196,998 7/1965 Owen 52-397 3,205,630 9/1965 Felix et al 52-397 REINALDO P, MACHADO, Primary Examiner. 

